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pccantidoping.bsky.social
Partnership for Clean Competition
@pccantidoping.bsky.social
200 followers 51 following 620 posts
We support analytical/social scientists doing anti-doping research via grants, postdoctoral fellowships, tech transfer, & working groups. PIs worldwide may apply.
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pccantidoping.bsky.social
We're pleased to highlight a recent PCC-funded research project, led by Dr. Martin Bidlingmaier, to examine soluble alpha klotho (sαKL) as a potential marker of growth hormone (GH) doping. sαKL is a protein in blood & urine that is impacted in clinical conditions with excess or deficient GH levels.
The text reads, "PCC-Funded Research Spotlight, Grant Title: Soluble Alpha Klotho - A New Biomarker to Detect Growth Hormone Doping, Dr. Martin Bidlingmaier, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich". There is a headshot photo of Dr. Bidlingmaier on the right above the text logo for the Partnership for Clean Competition.
November 28, 2025 at 7:41 PM
pccantidoping.bsky.social
"Brain doping" is gaining attention in sport, & this review identified only 9 studies on brain doping substances shown to ⬆️ sports performance. They also examined active ingredients that promote cognition in supplements to see how they fit w/in #antidoping rules.
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
This image shows details about the paper linked in the post. It was published in the journal Biology of Sport, and the article title is, "Brain doping" substances: prohibited or not in sports?
November 26, 2025 at 5:36 PM
pccantidoping.bsky.social
Dr. John Eiler is using #massspectrometry technology to identify the exact locations of isotopes in atoms in a PCC-funded research project to detect the molecular isotopic structures of substances in #antidoping samples.

Learn more in our latest podcast episode:
cleancompetition.org/anti-doping-...
There is a photo of Dr. John Eiler in the lower left. His name and titles are included in the bottom right. The text logo of the Partnership for Clean Competition appears at the top above the words, "The Anti-Doping Podcast". Below, there is a quote from Dr. Eiler's episode: "When you study in this way, you first of all have a highly specific fingerprint. Something that can’t be faked. Second, you have a very mechanistic fingerprint. It tells you how the system was being dysregulated. And third… it’s a persistent change that may be very easy to detect later than some of the more familiar tests. When they stop working, maybe our test will keep working.”
November 25, 2025 at 5:19 PM
pccantidoping.bsky.social
An increasing body of research supports that tDCS impacts endurance, strength, skill acquisition & perceived exertion. This recent editorial discusses how tDCS works, what we know about its ergogenic effects, & how it may fit within the framework of “neurodoping”. 🧪
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41078301/
This image provides details about the open access article linked in the post. It was published in the journal Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine, and the title of the article is, "Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS): A new, (still) legal form of "neurodoping" in sports?"
November 21, 2025 at 5:04 PM
pccantidoping.bsky.social
The synthetic steroidal SARM S42 is prohibited in sport due to potential performance-enhancing effects. To improve detection of S42 misuse, the PCC funded a research project, led by Dr. Mario Thevis, to investigate the metabolism of S42 to inform the development of new #antidoping detection methods.
The text reads, "PCC-Funded Research Spotlight, Grant Title: Investigations into the metabolism and detection of the novel SARM S42, Dr. Mario Thevis, German Sort University Cologne". There is a photo of Dr. Thevis on the right, above the text logo for the Partnership for Clean Competition.
November 21, 2025 at 4:51 PM
pccantidoping.bsky.social
Authors developed a rapid method using a CRISPR/CAS-based assay & double emulsion droplets to detect human erythropoietin gene doping. They validated the approach in spiked serum samples, & their results show excellent sensitivity & specificity. 🚫💊 🧪

advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
This image shows more details about the paper linked in the post. It was published in the journal Advanced Science, and the title is, "Osmotically Tunable Microdroplets Enable Amplification-Free CRISPR Detection of Gene Doping".
November 19, 2025 at 6:16 PM
pccantidoping.bsky.social
Roxadustat has erythropoietic, cardioprotective, and metabolic regulatory effects and is prohibited in sport. This review details what we know about its mechanisms of action, legitimate clinical uses, how it can be detected in #antidoping analyses, and more. 🧪

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
This image provides details about the paper linked in the post. It was published in Current Issues in Molecular Biology, and the title of the paper is, "Roxadustat as a Hypoxia-Mimetic Agent: Erythropoietic Mechanisms, Bioanalytical Detection, and Regulatory Considerations in Sports Medicine".
November 14, 2025 at 4:33 PM
pccantidoping.bsky.social
PCC-funded research, led by Dr. Michael Polet, produced the 1st gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) initial testing procedure using an open high-resolution acquisition. Now labs can sensitively test for more prohibited substances w/ 1 method.

Learn more:
cleancompetition.org/anti-doping-...
The text reads, "PCC-Funded Research Spotlight, Grant Title: Comprehensive Detection of Doping Agents by Low Energy EI GCQTOF, Dr. Michaël Polet, Doping Control Laboratory, Ghent University". There is a photo of Dr. Polet on the right, and the text logo for the Partnership for Clean Competition is displayed below.
November 13, 2025 at 6:35 PM
pccantidoping.bsky.social
Time matters when an #antidoping lab has to process 100s or 1,000s of samples quickly for large sporting events. Biotage is innovating their products to increase efficiency and address customers' needs. Learn more from Esraa AboJasser & Dr. Lee Williams.

cleancompetition.org/anti-doping-podcast/161
There is a photo and quote from Esraa AboJasser, Market and Applications Manager in Analytical Testing at Biotage. This was from her episode of the Partnership for Clean Competition's Anti-Doping Podcast episode, "Biotage has long pioneered a diverse portfolio of advanced polymers and specialized chemistries. And today we continue to refine these technologies and innovate in the space... The innovation process at Biotage is really directly driven by the voice and the feedback of our customers. So we continue to focus on developing high quality solutions that are robust and reliable workflows that streamline the sample prep process for analysts, reducing any process bottlenecks and helping them save time."
November 11, 2025 at 9:06 PM
pccantidoping.bsky.social
hCG can ⬆️ performance by ⬆️ testosterone, & biotin can interfere with hCG lab tests. The PCC funded Dr. Miller to examine if biotin could be used as a masking agent in #antidoping tests. This work led to the discovery that biotin supplements can substantially ⬇️ urinary hCG values in immunoassays. 🧪
The text reads, "PCC-Funded Research Spotlight, Grant Title: Biotin as a masking agent for hCG use - a follow-up administration study, Dr. Geoffrey Miller, Sports Medicine Research & testing Laboratory". On the right there is a photo of Dr. Miller. Below, the text logo for the Partnership for Clean Competition appears.
November 6, 2025 at 6:30 PM
pccantidoping.bsky.social
Researchers examined the excretion of metabolites of the anabolic androgenic steroid metandienone (MD). They identified new metabolites & detected E3, a metabolite that could increase the detection window for MD in #antidoping analyses. 🧪

linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0960-0760(25)00129-3
The image shows details about the paper linked in the post. It was published in The Journal of steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The title of the article is, "Reduced and rearranged metabolite structures after metandienone administration: New promising metabolites for potential long-term detection."
November 3, 2025 at 4:46 PM
pccantidoping.bsky.social
Every lab is different, and Biotage serves a wide range of labs around the world, including many #antidoping labs. Developing solutions that work for each lab's unique situation & needs is key for enhancing and advancing #cleansport.

Learn more in this episode:
cleancompetition.org/anti-doping-...
The text logo for the Partnership for Clean Competition appears at the top above the words, "The Anti-Doping Podcast". Below, there is a headshot photo of Monika Vezse, EMEA Market Segment & Application Lab Manager for Analytical Testing & Diagnostics at Biotage, as well as a quote from her that reads, "We are working with highly advanced centralized laboratories, while also partnering with emerging labs that face really different resource and infrastructure challenges. And our job here is to support both ends of that spectrum. And not just with the technology, but also the training, and method development, and long-term partnership to make sure that they can really rely on consistent and efficient workflows, whatever their situation is."
October 30, 2025 at 5:33 PM
pccantidoping.bsky.social
Authors retrospectively analyzed anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) in non-sport samples & reanalyzed 310 samples for additional AAS. Understanding patterns of drug use helps inform #antidoping education & public health policies. 🧪

analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
The image shows details about the open access paper linked in the post. It was published in the journal Drug Testing and Analysis, and the article title is, "Prevalence of AAS-Positive Samples at Drug Abuse Laboratory Sweden Between 2014 and 2023 and Sub-Study of Dual Use of AAS and Narcotics".
October 29, 2025 at 5:15 PM
pccantidoping.bsky.social
Partnerships and collaborations are critical for advancing #antidoping approaches & analyses. Dr. Lee Williams and Monika Vezse from @biotage.bsky.social discuss how they work closely with customers to develop solutions & drive innovation in anti-doping & beyond.
cleancompetition.org/anti-doping-...
The text logo for the Partnership for Clean Competition appears at the top above the words "The Anti-Doping Podcast". There is a quote below from guest Lee Williams, PhD, Director of R&D for Analytical Consumables and Applications at Biotage. The quote reads, "Quite often, we’ve got more than one option to get the desired result, so I think it’s really working with the customer to see what fits and what’s best for what they want to achieve ultimately." There is a photo of Lee in the lower left corner.
October 28, 2025 at 3:16 PM
pccantidoping.bsky.social
Anti-doping analyses for steroids can be costly & time-intensive. Authors developed & validated an efficient & effective method using liquid chromatography-(low-resolution)-MS3 that detected 17 steroidal esters from dried blood spots.
analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
This image shows details about the paper linked in the post. It was published in the journal of Mass Spectrometry. The title is, "Simplified Analysis of Native Steroid Esters in Dried Blood Spots by LC-MS3".
October 24, 2025 at 6:26 PM
pccantidoping.bsky.social
Through his 2021 PCC Research Grant, Prof. Nikos Ntoumanis conducted a review and meta-analysis of 200+ studies of psychosocial predictors and correlates of doping intention, use, and inadvertent doping in sport and exercise. 🚫💊 🧪

The results were published last year: bjsm.bmj.com/content/bjsp...
The text on the image reads, "PCC-Funded Research Spotlight, Grant Title: A meta-analysis of psychosocial predictors of doping intentions and use, Dr. Nikos Ntoumanis, University of Southern Denmark." There is a photo of Nikos on the right above the text logo for the Partnership for Clean Competition.
October 23, 2025 at 5:41 PM
pccantidoping.bsky.social
#Antidoping efforts in gyms & fitness centers may deter performance & image-enhancing drug use & protect public health. Authors found 35% of countries in this study had anti-doping measures in gyms & fitness centers, & NADOs were key for implementing them. 🚫💊 🧪

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
This image provides details about the paper linked in the post. It was published in the International Journal of Drug Policy. The title is, "Anti-doping measures in gyms and fitness centres: A mapping of practices in the state parties of the council of Europe’s anti-doping convention".
October 17, 2025 at 4:51 PM
pccantidoping.bsky.social
Human growth hormone (hGH) abuse is hard to detect directly, and the PCC was proud to fund research, led by Dr. Andy Hoofnagle, on the use of biomarkers of collagen turnover to indirectly detect doping with hGH. This work led to the development of novel assays to monitor collagen turnover.
🚫💊 🧪
The text reads, "PCC-Funded Research Spotlight, Grant Title: Translating Specific Assays of Collagen Turnover, Dr. Andy Hoofnagle, University of Washington". There is a photo of Dr. Hoofnagle on the right above the text logo of the Partnership for Clean Competition.
October 16, 2025 at 4:05 PM
pccantidoping.bsky.social
Olympian Shannon Rowbury had to wait 13 years to be recognized as a London 2012 Games bronze medalist because of doping competitors. She shared her hard-fought journey as an athlete, how doping has impacted her and her sport, and what's next on the horizon. 🚫💊

cleancompetition.org/anti-doping-...
The text logo for the Partnership for Clean Competition appears at the top, above the words "The Anti-Doping Podcast". Below, there is a quote from Shannon Rowbury, OLY, that reads, It was hard to wrap my head around the Games, because on the one hand, I felt like I was in the best fitness I had ever been in. I felt like I was mentally experienced and physically prepared. But on the other hand, there were all of these unexpected people with suspicious performances or suspicious pasts that were suddenly thrown into the ring." There is a headshot photo of Shannon in the lower right.
October 14, 2025 at 4:35 PM
pccantidoping.bsky.social
Through a controlled administration study, researchers found that 2 weeks of daily clenbuterol induced lean mass gain and muscle protein accretion, but it had clear negative effects on cardiorespiratory fitness & muscle oxidative capacity.

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

#antidoping #science
The image shows details about the paper. It was published in The Journal of Physiology, and the title of the paper is, "Clenbuterol induces lean mass and muscle protein accretion, but attenuates cardiorespiratory fitness and desensitizes muscle β2-adrenergic signalling".
October 10, 2025 at 3:46 PM
pccantidoping.bsky.social
Peptide doping agents can be hard to detect, especially if they are in low abundance in biological matrices. The PCC was excited to support a research project led by Dr. Trine Grønhaug Halvorsen which focused on developing & testing a novel smart sampler using affinity capture to address this issue.
The text on the image reads, "PCC-Funded Research Spotlight, Grant Title: Novel affinity sampler for sensitive analysis of challenging doping agents, Dr. Trine G. Halvorsen, University of Oslo." There is a headshot photo of Dr. Halvorsen on the right, and the text logo for the Partnership for Clean Competition appears below.
October 9, 2025 at 6:05 PM
pccantidoping.bsky.social
Our mission is to fund scientific research globally which advances knowledge in the anti-doping sphere, and contributes meaningfully to the protection of clean athletes. We're excited to support top #antidoping researchers and innovators.

Visit our website to learn more:
cleancompetition.org
This is a screenshot from our website. The text reads "Empowering scientists globally to collaborate and innovate through research grants". There are images of buttons below for Research Priorities, Application Center, and Account registration, that are active on our site.
October 6, 2025 at 3:07 PM
pccantidoping.bsky.social
It's been great to get our PCC Scientific Advisory Board together for our fall meeting! The group has been hard at work reviewing all of the excellent grant submissions we received.

Our next Pre-Application deadline is February 1, 2026!
cleancompetition.org/application-...

#antidoping #science
Photo of our scientific advisory board members sitting at rectangle tables arranged in a U-shape.
September 29, 2025 at 5:07 PM
pccantidoping.bsky.social
Dr. Christopher Chouinard received a PCC Research Grant to establish a database to facilitate detection of anabolic androgenic steroids using mass spectrometry methods. He and his team developed a fast method that can detect 40 known prohibited steroids.

#antidoping #cleansport #science
The text on this image reads, "PCC-Funded Research Spotlight, Grant Title: Establishing a predictive database for MS-based detection of AAS, Dr. Christopher Chouinard, Clemson University". There is a photo of Dr. Chouinard on the right with the logo for the Partnership for Clean Competition below.
September 25, 2025 at 3:44 PM
pccantidoping.bsky.social
Micro-transfusions of an athlete's own blood are prohibited in sport but hard to detect. Authors found ALAS2 mRNA expression (assessed via dried blood spots) may be a promising biomarker to identify autologous micro-transfusions. 🚫💊 🧪
analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
This image shows details about the paper linked in the post. It was published in the journal Drug Testing and Analysis, and the title of the article is, "mRNA Biomarkers in Dried Blood Spots May Improve Detection of Autologous Blood Micro-Transfusions Using an Individualized Approach." This is an open access article.
September 24, 2025 at 3:11 PM